Namida wa Shitte'ru
by Sakura no Tsubasa
Summary: Conan has been hearing Ran crying in her sleep for a few nights in a row, and he wants to know what's wrong. But when she tells him it's because of Shinichi, what is everyone's favourite chibi detective to do? CHAPTER FIVE! FINALLY!
1. Thoughts of one, Visit of Another

DISCLAIMER: _Meitantei Conan_ does not belong to me.

All right, guys! I've finally gotten around to fixing up this chapter. I've asked my older sister to be my beta reader, so I'll probably do even more fix-ups in the future. ((If anyone else wants to help out in the department of beta reader, let me know. _'Nee-san_ has work and such, so may not have a lot of time to be dealing with my silly little fanfiction. ;; So if anyone is interested, do let me know.)) Sorry it's taken so long to do this, I will have chapter five up soonlike. In the meantime, read this again -- I've fixed what needed to be and changed a bit of it.

It's not really _all_ that different... so don't be expecting too much. Really all I changed was the typos, and changed the timeframe from three months to nine months. I realized I needed to do that since I added Hattori and Kazuha in there. ...thing is, I think if it's nine months, that Haibara would be staying with Agasa. oo;; And if there's one character I know _nothing_ about, it's Ai-_chan._ All I know, is she's little for the same reason Conan is, her real name is Shiho, and she's got something to do with the APTX4869. ((did I get the numbers right? oo; ))

So what I'm trying to get at -- is if anyone has _any_ kind of useful information you think I would need for any of those three characters (( Hattori, Kazuha, and Haibara )), then feel free to mention it. Drop me an email, leave it in a review, whatever you feel like doing. It would be much appreciated.

Domo arigatou gozaimasu!

Key:

Italics = thoughts, emphasis, or japanese. see glossary in Author's Notes for translations if needed.

And now, on to the fic.

**Namida wa Shitte'ru**   
  
_She was crying again._  
  
Edogawa Conan walked slowly past the room where his caretaker, as well as childhood friend, Mouri Ran resided. It was the third night in a row he'd heard her crying in her sleep. And he just didn't know what to do. He felt more helpless now than he ever had, despite the fact that he'd been shrunk to the size of a primary school student.  
  
And that, was precisely the problem.  
  
Approxomately nine months prior, Kudou Shinichi had been a normal guy in his second year of highschool. ...Well, as normal as he could be, being the _meitantei_ -- the famous detective -- that he was. He was smart, that was for damn sure. He was a famous highschool detective, he solved cases faster and more efficiently than anyone in the Tokyo region. However -- he'd made an almost fatal mistake nine months ago.  
  
He'd made a promise with Ran, that if she won in the Karate Championships she was taking part in, he would take her to "Tropical Land" -- a popular amusement park near where the two youths lived. She'd won the Championship, and they'd gone to Tropical Land.  
  
It would have been a wonderful trip, had it not been for the murder on the Mystery Coaster. A man was decapitated in a dark tunnel by use of a rope hooked onto the track of the coaster. A woman had killed her ex-boyfriend to get back at him for the happiness he had with his new girlfriend -- one of her friends. The man had been sitting in the car behind Shinichi and Ran the entire time.  
  
_Ran was crying then, too._ Conan thought absently, pausing near her doorway.  
  
Obviously traumatized by what she'd seen, Ran cried nearly the entire time after the murder. Shinichi was rather unphased. Being a detective, he was used to seeing these kinds of things. But Ran was just a normal highschool girl. Sure, she was in karate, she could kick your ass without a second thought. But that didn't mean seeing a man murdered right behind her was something she could handle easily.  
  
He'd been trying to console her, trying to get her to stop crying, saying "These kinds of things happen all the time!", when the man ran past.  
  
Among the seven people on the Mystery Coaster had been two rather suspicious men wearing all black. While they had not been the ones to blame for the murder on the rollercoaster, Shinichi could not shake the idea that there was something just not quite right about them.

Their eyes were too cold.  
  
One of the men he'd seen then ran past he and Ran in a hurry, into a dark alley that lead to a grassy field just beyond the festivities of the park. Shinichi knew something wasn't right. So, naturally, his detective insticts told him to follow.  
  
"_Gomen_, can you go home without me, Ran?" he had asked. Then he'd run off to follow the man. Ran called after him, but he assured her he would catch up with her. As she took a step forward to stop him, her shoelace broke and fell onto the ground beside her shoe. She stared in horror. _Something bad was going to happen_. She knew it. Why else would a bad omen such as her shoelace breaking happen? She stared after Shinichi, and somehow her heart told her this was the last time she was going to see him.  
  
And in a sense, it was.  
  
Shinichi followed the man in black, and saw him meet up with another man, who was wearing a deep maroon suit.

The colour of blood.

The man in the maroon suit gave the man in black a suitcase full of what must have been at least a million dollars. Shinichi watched in awe from around a corner. The man in black then tossed a roll of film at the other man. Film which held pictures of the man's company smuggling weapons. Dirty business, indeed. After making sure that the copy he was given was the only copy of the film, the man in the maroon coat bolted.  
  
"Your detective game ends here," Came a sudden deep voice from behind him.  
  
Shinichi turned just in time for the man in black's counterpart -- the other man on the rollercoaster with the cold eyes -- beat him over the head with a metal rod. Shinichi fell to the ground with a dull thud, falling almost unconscious. The man in black who'd been given the case of money ran over, startled. Shinichi's assaulter scolded him and told him he had been followed by Shinichi. The first man pulled a small gun out of his coat pocket.  
  
"_Aniki, _isn't he that detective kid? Let's kill him!" he said with excitement. But the elder of the two stopped him.  
  
"The police are still around. We'll use this." he pulled a small box from his coat.  
  
Inside the box were several red and white poisonous pills. The pills had yet to have been tested on human beings. It was their decision to test them on Shinichi.  
  
The older man picked Shinichi's head off the ground by his hair and stuck the pill in his mouth, then poured water down his throat. After letting go, he tipped his hat and they left, leaving Shinichi behind on the ground with only the words "Goodbye, _meitantei_."  
  
Shinichi struggled in the grass, his body feeling hot. His bones felt as if they were melting. He then blacked out, only to wake up to the sounds of cops shouting. They said something about a dead body.  
  
_...Did I really die?_  
  
Another cop discerned that thought.  
  
"No, he's still breathing."  
  
The first cop called for an ambulance as Shinichi's eyes came into focus.  
  
_...That's right... those drugs are useless on humans..._  
  
The second cop asked if he could get up, offering him a hand. But Shinichi had noticed something odd about the man's speech. He'd called him _boya_.  
  
_Kid...? Who's a little kid...?_  
  
Shinichi then sat up, only to find that his clothes were too big on him... he'd been shrunken to the size of a primary school student.  
  
Which brought him back to his current problem. He now lived with his childhood friend -- as well as his highschool crush -- Mouri Ran. And she was crying. And he didn't know why. And, to make matters worse, he was in the body of a primary school student, now known to everyone but his neighbor, Professor Agasa, a friend and fellow detective, Hattori Heiji, and his 'classmate', Haibara Ai, as _Edogawa Conan.  
_  
How was a primary school student supposed to just waltz into the room of a distraught teenage girl and know exactly what to say? He'd already almost gotten caught twice before, he couldn't afford a third time. So, he stood outside her door, gnawing on his lip in worry.  
  
Well, he could always claim he'd woken up to use the restroom and wondered what was wrong... that was innocent enough, wasn't it?  
  
He decided the only way to find out was to try. He pushed her door open enough to slip through and padded softly into her room.  
  
"..._anou_... Ran_-'nee-chan_?" he said softly, approaching with caution. She jumped and hushed, sitting up and going rigid. He watched as she wiped her tears from her eyes, and turned to face him with a fake smile.  
  
"What is it, Conan-_kun_? Can you not sleep?"  
  
He felt a sudden twinge of pain in his chest. Hearing her call him _Conan-kun_ just hurt sometimes.

He plastered a smile on his face that was easily as fake as hers and stepped closer, feigning a yawn.  
  
"I got up to use the toilet, and I heard someone crying. Is something wrong, Ran-_'nee-chan_?" he asked innocently. As he stepped closer, he noticed that her face seemed to twist in a sort of pained saddened smile.  
  
"...I just... stubbed my toe getting up to shut the window, that's all." she picked up her left foot and put a hand around her toes, feigning pain.  
  
That twinge of pain came back again, stronger this time. Of course she wasn't going to tell a child what was bothering her. He would never understand, he was too young to grasp her hormonal teenage girl issues.  
  
"...I see..." he took another step forward and without realizing, put a hand out toward her face. She looked at his small hand, startled. "Conan-_kun_?" she let her foot fall to the ground and leaned back slightly.  
  
He realized what he'd done and recoiled his hand quickly.  
  
"....uhh..." he put his other hand behind his head and gave a soft nervous laugh. "_Gomen, gomen_..."  
  
She stared at him, her face contorting in that sad smile again.  
  
"...you look even more like Shinichi without your glasses on, Conan-_kun_..."  
  
The truth of the matter was, Ran loved Shinichi with all her heart. And not just as a childhood friend. She felt more than friendship with him. His asbsence seemed to really tear at her. Little did she know, he was right there the entire time...  
  
Conan looked stricken for a split second, then smiled childishly again.  
  
"Thank you, _Ran-'nee-chan_."  
  
_It's me, Ran... I'm right here... so don't cry anymore... please...  
_  
Ran hadn't missed the stricken look that crossed his face. She squinted briefly.  
  
_What was that about...?_ She wondered.  
  
"..._Nee_, Conan-_kun_...?" she asked softly after a moment.  
  
_He doesn't even know Shinichi... it must have just been a coincidence. Or maybe I'm seeing things.  
_  
Conan raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Hn?"  
  
"...would you mind staying in here for a little while? I'd... kind of like someone to talk to."  
  
Conan resisted the urge to hug her.  
  
_Of course I will, Ran. I'll stay with you as long as you want... I'll always be by your side..._  
  
He'd always felt foolish. They'd grown up together, why would Ran ever like him as more than a childhood friend? But then she'd told him. Not told Shinichi, but told _Conan_. Probably simply needing to tell someone who wouldn't tease her about it, she'd spilled to this 'young boy' she_ didn't even know_, her true feelings for Shinichi.  
  
He had wished nothing more than to be able to tell her right then that he felt the same.  
  
He nodded after a moment.  
  
"Sure, Ran-_'nee-chan_."  
  
Ran had taken to sitting on the windowsill, gazing outside at the night sky. Conan sat perhced on the end of her bed, watching her.  
  
"..._Nee_, Ran-'_nee-chan_?" he asked after another minute of silence.  
  
She turned her head, her eyes shining with more unshed tears. Conan had seen them before she even turned, yet still, he flinched.  
  
"...would I be intruding if I asked you why you were crying...?" he bowed his head "...I somehow don't think that your toe still hurts..." he hoped she wouldn't be upset with him for treading where he probably shouldn't. But he couldn't stand just sitting here watching her fight off tears anymore.  
  
Ran stared at him, slightly wide-eyed for a moment. "Conan-_kun_..." she stared, and when she blinked, the unshed tears in her eyes fell silently onto her cheeks. She stood slowly and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside him, her eyes still closed.  
  
"....." He gnawed his lower lip. _Ran... Please... Stop crying..._  
  
"...it's Shinichi, Conan-_kun_." she said softly. She looked over at him, smiling through her tears.  
  
Conan's heart gave a painful jerk in his chest. He swallowed.  
  
"...What... what about Shinichi-_'nii-chan_, Ran-'_nee-chan_...?" It felt so strange to call himself by -_nii-chan_.

He set a small hand on he bed beside and leaned a little toward her, once again resisting the urge to embrace her.  
  
Ran smiled again.  
  
"It's just... that I'm worried. I mean... it's been nine months since I've seen him. I know, he called me and told me he was working on a difficult case... " she paused, looking down at her lap. "...but I still miss him."  
  
The last five words went right through Conan and straight to Shinichi's heart. He was suddenly finding it a little difficult to breathe.  
  
_...I miss you, too, Ran... I wish I could tell you..._

He wondered how it was possible to miss someone so much when they were right beside you.

Ran glanced over at him. Conan hadn't realized, but he'd suddenly clutched a hand to his chest, and hunched over a little.

"Conan_-kun?_ _Daijoubu_?" She put a hand lightly on his small shoulder. He jumped and looked up at her, startled by her sudden touch.  
  
"...!!" He stared, then realized his hand was clutching his shirt and slowly brought it down to rest in his lap. "Ehh... _hai... daijoubu desu_..."  
  
She kept her hand on his shoulder. Somehow... _something _about this boy helped her feel more at ease. Whenever she missed Shinichi, all she needed to do was be around Conan, and things seemed to be okay.  
  
She suddenly felt silly about what she wanted to ask him. She pursed her lips and stared back at her lap.  
  
An awkward silence ensued, in which Conan pondered Ran's reason for her lingering hand on his shoulder, and Ran wondered if she should ask him what she wanted to. In the end, it was Ran who broke the silence, having decided to ask.  
  
"..._anou_... Conan-_kun_..." she paused, and gnawed on her tongue a moment. "I know this might sound... _strange_..."  
  
Conan blinked.  
  
"Strange?" He couldn't figure what strange thing she could ask that would have anything to do with their current situation. He squinted.  
  
"Would you mind terribly if I were to hug you, Conan-_kun_?" she glanced at him over her shoulder. He balked.  
  
_How is that strange? She always hugs me. I'm used to it by now. After all, I'm Edogawa Conan. I'm like her little brother...  
_  
He leaned forward and swung his legs onto the bed and stood up, stepping behind her and draping his small body around her shoulders.  
  
"You don't have to ask me that, Ran-'_nee-chan_," he said softly, leaning against her. "....." With extreme effort from Shinichi's end, he managed a smile. "From now on, I'll be Ran-'_nee-chan_'s younger brother!" he said with exuberance. False as it were, it sounded true.  
  
Ran smiled lightly and leaned backward a little into him.  
  
"You're so sweet, Conan-_kun_."  
  
He squeezed her shoulders and circled around her to sit next to her again, letting his legs dangle off the edge of the bed.  
  
Ran smiled at him and put one arm around his shoulders this time. Leaning to her side a little and pulling him against her, she embraced him gingerly with a smile on her face.  
  
_...At least she's not crying anymore, right? Don't get all upset about this, Shinichi. You can't explain to her what's going on, so don't even try. She's not crying anymore, you've solved what you came in here to fix. Be _happy_, damnit!_  
  
He smiled rather forcedly.  
  
Niether of them spoke for a few minutes, Ran just held him to herself, smiling softly.  
  
_Something about this child..._  
  
She loosened her grip on him and he straightened, eyeing her from the corner of his eye.  
  
"Are you okay now, Ran-'_nee-chan_?" he asked as innocently as he could manage.  
  
Ran smiled. And she meant it this time.  
  
"I'm fine now, Conan-_kun_, _arigatou_."  
  
_Don't thank me, Ran. For God's sake, don't freaking thank me._  
  
He smiled.  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
Ran smiled too, then glanced over at her clock, resting on her nightstand table.  
  
"2:13?! _Sonna_!" she turned quickly to Conan, who'd taken to staring out the window from his place perched on the bed. "Conan-_kun_, we need to go to bed! Look at how late it is!!" she picked him up and hoisted him into her arms, holding him close to her as she walked toward the door, planning to take him back to his room to sleep.  
  
"...huh? Oh!" He'd been spacing out, and only understood what was happening when Ran padded out into the hallway.  
  
"I'm sorry for keeping you for so long, Conan-_kun_, you must be tired."  
  
He _was_ tired now. He wanted to just curl up on his futon and stay under the thick blanket forever and never have to hear her call him_ Conan-kun_ again.  
  
He vaguely remembered her walking into his room and setting him onto the futon and pulling the blanket to his neck. She smiled and waved from the doorway.  
  
"_Oyasumi-nasai_, Conan_-kun_." She shut the door and disappeared from his sight.  
  
He rolled onto his side and coiled into a tight ball, burying his face in his pillow.

**_Author's Notes_**: Okay, first chapter -- revised. What I'm thinking of doing... is making this a one-shot, and making the rest of it another story, perhaps like a sequel. Because most people that read it before I had the second chapter up seemed to think it was a one-shot. Somehow I think it may fair better if it was. I dunno. Let me know what you guys think.**__**

Glossary of Japanese Terms

meitantei: A great detective. Thus, the name of this anime series would translate literally to "The Great Detective Conan" , although most just call it "Detective Conan".

gomen: A rather informal way of apologizing. Basically, a casual "sorry".

aniki: "older brother". Since Gin and Vodka seem to be brothers, Vodka, apparently being the younger of the two, calls Gin '_aniki_'.

boya: translated as "little kid" in the fansubbing I got ahold of, _boya_ would actually translate literally to "boy".

anou: more or less, like "um".

onee-chan: literally, "older sister". this term is used for a female older than you, especially under the terms that you do not know her well.

-kun: this suffix is used at the end of boy's names to express familiarity or endearment. It is also used by men among friends, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower station.

nee: most commonly translated as "hey", _nee_ is a subtle way to get someone's attention.

-san: this is the most common honorific, and is equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs., etc. It is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation in which politeness is required.

daijoubu?: when put into question format, _daijoubu_ is asking "are you all right/okay?".

hai: "Yes".

daijoubu desu: whereas the interogatory form of _daijoubu_ is translated to "are you all right", _daijoubu desu_ would be how one would answer if they wished to confirm they were, indeed, all right. it can be translated to many things, such as "I'm okay/all right", "It's okay/all right", etc.

arigatou: "thank you".

sonna: can be translated as a few different things, but is most commonly said as "no way" or "you've got to be kidding me"

oyasumi nasai: "Good Night". if one were to simply say _oyasumi_, it would mean the same, adding _nasai_ simply makes it seem more formal or polite.

Okay I'm not sure if it will let people that have already reviewed the first chapter review it again... I really don't know. I've never reposted something. ..For that matter, I don't think I've ever posted something that got decent reviews. feels loved Thanks guys, you're all awesome. Bear with me, I will get the fifth chapter up for you guys before I start school again on the seventh.Sakura 


	2. Breakfast and A Misunderstanding

DISCLAIMER: Again, I tell you, _Meitantei Conan_ does not belong to me.

* * *

Okay. Another repost. I plan to get all four chapters reposted today, then I'll start typing up chapter five. Like I mentioned, I plan to have chapter five up before I go back to school on the seventh of september. shudders ...ew, school. Do I really have to go back? sigh Oh well, only this year and next year left. Then I am DONE!! cheers! Anyway!

* * *

Recap-y thingie.

"2:13?! _Sonna_!" she turned quickly to Conan, who'd taken to staring out the window from his place perched on the bed. "Conan-_kun_, we need to go to bed! Look at how late it is!!" she picked him up and hoisted him into her arms, holding him close to her as she walked toward the door, planning to take him back to his room to sleep.  
  
"...huh? Oh!" He'd been spacing out, and only understood what was happening when Ran padded out into the hallway.  
  
"I'm sorry for keeping you for so long, Conan-_kun_, you must be tired."  
  
He was tired now. He wanted to just curl up on his futon and stay under the thick blanket forever and never have to hear her call him_ Conan-kun_ again.  
  
He vaguely remembered her walking into his room and setting him onto the futon and pulling the blanket to his neck. She smiled and waved from the doorway.  
  
"_Oyasumi-nasai_, Conan_-kun_." She shut the door and disappeared from his sight.  
  
He rolled onto his side and coiled into a tight ball, burying his face in his pillow.

* * *

****

Namida wa Shitte'ru

Chapter Two: Breakfast and a Misunderstanding

Ran leaned against the wall outside Conan's bedroom, thinking.

What is _it about Conan-kun that makes me feel so at ease? It's the same feeling I used to get whenever I was around Shinichi.... _She shook her head. _No, that's not even possible! I already suspected Conan-kun of that, and Shinichi called me when he was sitting right in front of me!_

She sighed and slumped against the wall a little.

But then... what is_ the cause for this? Why is Conan-kun... so much like Shinichi?_

"Ran? What are you doing?"

Ran jumped and stood up straight to face her father.

"_O... Otou-san!?_" She said, alarmed. "...Wh... what are _you_ doing out in the hall so late at night?" She made a face, placing her hands on hips and looking skeptical.

Kogorou flattened his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"_Mouuu, _can a man not get up to use the toilet at night, without getting scolded by his own daughter?" He placed his own hands on his hips, also looking skeptical. "And what are you doing outside Conan's room at such an ungodly hour of the night?"

Ran sighed, letting her arms drop back to her sides.

"Conan_-kun_ couldn't sleep, he came into my room to talk to me for a bit. I just put him back to bed." She lied through her teeth. She couldn't very well tell her father that Conan had come into her room worried, because he'd heard her crying. Kogorou may not be the best _detective_, but Ran was important to him, and hearing news of her crying would get him worried. She already had her 'brother' worried about her, she didn't need her father worried, too.

Kogorou squinted.

"...Oh. Well, go back to bed. You've got school in the morning, don't you?" He scratched the back of his neck, letting his other arm fall to his side again.

Ran made another face.

Ahh.... shimatta...

"Yeah... I do." She pushed off the wall and headed back toward her room. "_Oyasumi, otou-san._"

Kogorou nodded, heading for the restroom.

"_Oyasumi_, Ran."

Ran shut the door to her room hastily, and threw herself into her bed, burrowing into her pillow, hiding under the covers. And though she did not sleep immediately, she lay still, her eyes closed. Thoughts swam through her head at a mile a minute, and they eventually carried her off into a light sleep.

Approximately four hours later, Ran awoke to the sound of her alarm going off. She lifted her head to stare groggily at the clock.

6:30 Already...? Mouuu....

She sat up, swining her legs over the side of her bed, clicked the alarm off, and stared at her window for a few seconds. Through her drowsy stupor, she remembered what had happened, and smiled

I'll have to stop by the candy shop and pick something up for Conan-kun. He's such a sweet kid.

She stretched, and stood up. Inhaling, she smelled something unusual.

...Rice? She thought absently, squinting. _Why's it smell like _rice_, of all things...?_

She dressed herself in her school uniform and picked up her bag off the chair in front of her desk before heading out of the room.

Upon entering the kitchen, she came across something she would have never expected.

There, standing three large phonebooks resting on top of a stool, was Conan, tending to a pot on the stove.

Ran's eyes went large.

"Conan-_kun!!_" She yelped, and dropped her back in the doorway. She walked briskly over to him, past her father, who was reading the newspaper whilst gnawing on a piece of toast. "Conan_-kun_, what on _earth_ are you doing?"

He blinked and looked up at her innocently.

"...Making breakfast?"

He said it as if it explained everything, Ran mused.

She stared at him.

"..._Demo_... Conan-_kun_..."

He smiled and went back to tending the rice he was cooking.

That explains why it smelled like rice...

"I know you usually make breakfast... and I'm sure you must get tired of it. So I thought I'd do it for a change!" He hopped off his stack of phonebooks, pot in hand, and walked over to the table. Setting the pot on a magazine, as not to scald the table, he climbed onto a chair and scooped some of the rice into a small plastic bowl resting next to a plate. After doing so, he turned to face Ran and gestured to the table. "I don't know how to use your rice cooker, so I just made the rice in a pan on the stove. I hope it's okay."

Ran balked. Along with the bowl of rice, was a small, sushi-sized plate with a piece of fish on it, as well as some boiled _tamago._

She stared, her jaw dropping slightly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen something that looked quite this well-prepared, outside of a restaurant.

...He is so unbelievably selfless! And he's just a kid!

"Conan_-kun_..." She smiled at him. "Thank you, Conan-_kun_."

He hopped off the chair and took the pot off the magazine, walking back over to his stack of phonebooks and setting the pot back on the stove. He clambered back onto his stack of phonebooks and put the top onto the pot, to keep the rice from drying out for the time being. He then walked back over to the table and climbed into another chair, where he had made himself a plate of food as well.

Ran stared at the plate awkwardly for a moment before picking up the pair of chopsticks Conan had laid out for her.

He smiled at her from his place at the table, picking up his own chopsticks.

"_Itadakimasu!_" He said in a rather sing-song voice as he picked up a chopstickful of rice and popped it in his mouth.

Ran couldn't help but smile.

How did we come across him? I may have seemingly lost Shinichi... She eyed Conan, still smiling. _...But Conan-kun here... it's almost like he came here to keep me company while Shinichi was gone. Almost like he knew I would need someone..._

She glanced down at her plate of food, her smile only widening slightly.

Let's test how good of a cook you are, Conan-kun.

"_Itadakimasu!_"

Ran walked hurriedly toward the landing and sat down to put on her shoes. Conan had been cleaning up after breakfast and was nearly finished.

"_Ittekimasu, Otou-san, _Conan-_kun!"_

"_Itterashai_, Ran!" Her father called back.

"Ah, _matte_, Ran_-'nee-chan!_" Conan called from the kitchen.

Ran paused, her hand poised over the doorknob. There were some hurried scrubbing sounds, a strangled yelp, a crash, a nervous laugh, and pattering of quick footsteps as Conan ran down the hallway.

He hurled himself at his shoes, sitting on the landing and putting them on hurriedly. His hair was toussled. Had he fallen in his rush to meet her?

Ran moved her hand away from the doorknob and blinked.

"_...Nani, _Conan-_kun?_"

He panted for half a second, then grinned up at her, standing up once his shoes were on.

"I'll walk with you." He said quite cheerily. Ran doubleblinked.

I guess it's not... that_ strange... I mean, he's come with me and Sonoko before... and Sonoko had to go to school early this morning, she's on cleaning duty..._

Ran blinked again, then nodded slowly.

"All right... thanks, Conan-_kun_. Sonoko isn't coming this morning, so I could use the company." She smiled and turned to open the door, her eyes narrowing slightly.

__

Conan smiled at her back.

"Ittekimasu, Occhan!" He called, and walked out the door after Ran, pushing it closed after Ran shouted "_Ittekimasu!_" At her father again.

Ran stood a few feet away, her hands on her hips. When Conan turned around, he was startled. _Why did she seem to be angry?_

"...Ran...'_nee-chan_?" he asked timidly, almost cowering from the skeptical look on her girlish features.

"What's up, Conan-_kun_? It's like you're stalking me. You're following me around everywhere." She didn't sound annoyed, she was only making a statement. Conan sighed.

Oh good, she isn't angry. Scared me! I thought she was gonna pull some kind of super karate move on me! [Silly Conan, Ran would never, and you know it!]

He blinked as innocently as he could manage despite the sudden wave of relief that had overcome him.

"What are you talking about, Ran_-'nee-chan? _How can I _stalk _you? I live with you!" He argued simply, throwing his voice so he sounded more confused than his nervous attempt to cover his tracks. He wasn't _stalking _her... not _exactly..._ It wasn't his choice to come live with her...

I'm not stalking you, Ran. I wouldn't even be living with you if Agasa-hakase hadn't voiced the opinion to you. I rather wish he hadn't... sure, it gets me closer than I would have been on my own to catching those two men... but the strain it must put on you...

"...I know that. But you don't usually walk me to school, because Sonoko always gives you a hard time. And I never mentioned that she wasn't coming today until now, so why would you risk being picked on, just to walk me to school?" She sounded miffed, and slightly apprehensive.

She was starting to figure him out again.

Think_, Shinichi!! Think of something juvenile to say! Think of something a primary school student would say in response to that! Think of what _Edogawa Conan _would say in this situation!!_

He looked rather sheepishly up at her and sweatdropped, placing a hand behind his head. That action only seemed to tick on Ran's nerves, so he let his hand drop back to his side. The last thing he needed was to piss her off. He was trying to _help_, not get his ass kicked.

"_Anou..._" He fumbled. _Damnit, Shinichi, _think!!_ You're a highschool meitantei for God's sake, think of something!_

"_Ehh tou..."_ A thought sprang to his mind. He grinned inwardly.

Bring on the childish charm, baby!

"Y'see, Ran-'_nee-chan_... I don't just call you '_nee-chan_ for sport, nor do I because it's the right thing to say. I really _do _see you as my older sister." He stared at his feet, as if to hide an embarrassed blush, but he was actually doing it so she wouldn't see the grin on his face. It would surely give away that he was lying if she saw it. "I've never had an older sister before, you know. I'm an only child. And so... I thought..." In all this mess, he'd choked himself up trying not to laugh, and made a soft, almost snort-like sound in the back of his throat. He was lying through his teeth, but doing a _damn _good job of it. ...All right, so he _was_ an only child He _hadn't _ever had an older sister. But _God _knows that he saw Ran as more than just a sister!!

Ran started.

_ ?!_

She quickly stepped forward and dropped to her knees in front of him, hearing the sound as somewhat of a choked back sob.

"Ahh, Conan_-kun, gomen nasai!_ I never meant that it was a bad thing... I just wanted to know what was going on...!! I'm not scolding you..."

Oh my God! I'm so awful!! Here I am, thoughts all focused on that runaway Shinichi, and I'm yelling at Conan-kun!! He probably thinks I'm a horrible person now!!

Ran hesitantly put her hands onto Conan's shoulders. He flinched.

...What the, what is she doing?

"Conan-_kun..._ I really am sorry, I didn't mean to upset you..."

Conan almost laughed, and in doing so, made the same noise again that Ran had mistaken for a sob.

Does she think I'm **crying**?!_ Man, I really _am _good at this!!_

He sniffed, exaggerating. He put one arm up to his face and pressed his glasses up out of the way to rub at his eyes.

"_Demo_... Ran-'_nee-chan_, I must be bothering you! I mean, you have friends at school, you could walk to school with them! Why would you want to walk to school with a _primary school_ student?"

Okay, now he was laying it on a little too thick.

Lay off, Shinichi. Calm down, before you say something that she'll see through.

Ran smiled.

"No, no, Conan-_kun._" she said, and tapped his chin, forcing him to look at her. He pulled his arm away from his face and his glasses fell down, laying askew across his face. She gripped the corners of them where they connected to the earpieces and straightened them in a maternal sort of manner. "I'd be more than happy to walk to school with you. I just didn't understand..."

Conan, having been startled by her sudden change in attitude, felt a faint blush creep onto his temporarily childish face. He blinked, feeling a little guilty about having fooled her like that.

Apparently the blush only made his actions seem more realistic.

Ran stood up and took his hand in hers and started walking.

"Come on, then, Conan-_kun_. We'll both be late if we stay here for too much longer." She gripped his hand lightly, not enough to be painful, but just enough to cause another involuntary blush to cross his face.

"Ah, _hai_..."

Conan remained silent for the rest of the walk to school.

"Then, I'll come pick you up after school, Conan-_kun._" Ran said gently when they reached the gates to the highschool building. Conan lifted his head and stared at her for a moment. He didn't quite understand what she meant.

He made a soft wordless sound of confusion.

"I'm gonna take you out for ice cream after school. I can't very well scold you for no reason and get you all worked up and expect you to just ignore it!" She smiled brightly. "So, I'll pick you up after school. Wait for me by the statue out in front of the school building." She pointed. And with that, she pat him lightly on the head and turned to walk with a right _genki_ bounce to her step into the schoolyard.

"Ahh, _h-hai!"_ Conan replied, rather flustered by now.

"Ran-'_nee-chan?_" he called after a minute of letting her walk away.

Ran tilted her head to the side.

"Hmm?"

"...Thank you!!" He shouted before running off. Ran raised an eyebrow.

"...What's he thanking me for?" She stood there for a moment, pondering what had gotten into him. When a girl in her class called out to her from the doorway, she turned and ran into the school building.

"Who was that adorable kid you were talking to, Mouri-san?" The girl asked offhandedly.

Ran blinked.

"Oh, him?"

She paused for a moment, then smiled warmly.

"He's my _otoutou_, Conan-_kun_."

* * *

**_Author's Notes _**: Hmm... sap. Yummeh. XDD Okay, chapter two, reposted. Again, I may change it further once I have my sister beta it, if she's willing to. Let me know if you guys find anything else I need to fix. I think I fixed the whole thing with their school's okay... they both go to Teitan, just different buildings, I would imagine. shrug Not sure.

Anyway, glossary and such.

**__**

Glossary of Japanese Terms

Otou-san : a polite way to refer to one's father. it's not entirely informal, but it's not _really_ formal, either. just to show that Ran recognizes that her father is authority.

mou : the closest thing that '_mou_' can be translated to, is something along the lines of "jeez".

shimatta : although this word is often translated as "damn", _'shimatta'_ is a much milder term. it would basically translate to saying "crap" or something of the sort.

demo : no, this is not a trial version of something. '_demo_' translates to 'but' or 'however'. very similar, depending on the context, to _'kedo'_

itadakimasu : there is no true literal translation for this word. it is simply something that japanese people say before beginning to eat a meal. if chosen to be translated, it could be translated as one of many; "let's eat", "thank you for the meal" "I will have some", etc.

ittekimasu : translated to "I'll be going now", _'ittekimasu'_ is the common saying japanese people use when leaving a room, going out, etc.

iterasshai : this word -- like _'itadakimasu' _does not have a set translation. it can be translated as "have a safe trip" or something of the sort. it is the common reply to _'ittekimasu'._

matte : "wait", "hold on". adding _'kudasai'_ to the end of this makes it more polite, and almost imperative. as if to say "Please, wait."

nani : "what"

Occhan: this is what Conan has taken to calling Kogorou. It's like... calling him "uncle". Kind of. shrug Just understand that it's what Conan calls Kogorou.

hakase : "Professor". This is the title given to the inventor that lives next door to Shinichi -- _Professor_ Agasa, or _Agasa hakase_.

Eh tou : similar in meaning to _'anou'_ _'eh tou'_ would essentially translate to "um" usually said when one is at a loss for words, or trying to find something.

otoutou : "younger brother" Although Conan is actually of no blood relation to Ran, she is calling him this for cuteness's sake. Also, he had claimed himself to be her younger brother the previous evening.

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Again, not sure if people who've already reviewed can review again. But thanks loads to those of you who did, who will, and who just read it. Reviews mean a lot to me, but even if you just read it, I still feel loved. ...even though if you read it without a review I really don't KNOW that you read it... oo; Anyway! Next, chapters three and four to be reposted! Look forward to it! Thanks, guys!

Sakura


	3. Ice Cream, and the Longest Ten Seconds

DISCLAIMER: _Meitantei Conan_ still doesn't belong to me. It belongs to _Gosho Aoyama_.

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Okay, recap of chapter three now! ...Not a whole hell of a lot to fix in this chapter, that I can remember. The main ones I needed to fix were the school thing in chapter two, and ... a lot of chapter four. ;; That's next, though.

Thanks again for reading, and bear with me while I repost these. I promise to have chapter five up for you guys soon!!

* * *

Recap!!

"You'd better hurry and go to school, you'll be late!!"

Conan's eyes widened slightly. She was right.

"Ah, _hai!_" He turned to run off toward his school then stopped. "And... Ran-_onee-chan?_" he called.

Ran tilted her head to the side.

"Hmm?"

"...Thank you!!" He shouted before running off. Ran raised an eyebrow.

"...What's he thanking me for?" She stood there for a moment, pondering what had gotten into him. When a girl in her class called out to her from the doorway, she turned and ran into the school building.

"Who was that adorable kid you were talking to, Mouri-san?" The girl asked offhandedly.

Ran blinked.

"Oh, him?"

She paused for a moment, then smiled warmly.

"He's my _otoutou_, Conan-_kun_."

* * *

****

Namida wa Shitte'ru

_Chapter Three: Ice Cream, and the Longest Ten Seconds._

The day had passed by quicker than Conan had realized. Not that he'd paid much attention, anyway. He'd run into the school building, made it into class just before the bell rang, and stared out the window the entire class.

He was just so _over _being Conan!

Sure, being small had it's advantages at times... and he'd learned more about Ran than he ever would have with his usual appearance. But there's only so much one can accomplish while trapped in the body of a seven year old!

He sighed, resting his chin in his palm, closing his eyes over, facing the window.

It was just infuriating. And what was worse -- to have gotten a taste of being himself again long enough to prove Hattori wrong... only to change back to Conan after narrowly escaping Ran's questioning.

He paused in his thoughts, and made a face.

What must have been going through Ran's head... to see Shinichi fall backward down the stairs and then... disappear, leaving nothing but his jacket and socks... then, to find Conan in a small room wearing what seemed to be Shinichi's shirt. He snorted, trying not to laugh. She must have been so confused!!

If he ever got his own body back, he'd have to explain this to her... Then again...

He remembered the first day that he'd been Conan. Agasa had asked her to take him in, and on the way back she'd told him how she felt about Shinichi.

...Okay, maybe he'd wait to tell her until he knew she wouldn't beat him to a bloody pulp.

And what was taking Haibara so long with that cure, anyway? She _made_ the damned thing, why couldn't she figure out how to _undo _it?!

Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder, and he let out a strangled yelp, and in trying to move away from the hand, fell out of his chair, landing squished between the wall and his desk, one leg propped on his chair, the other laying across his bag which lay under his desk.

He found himself staring up at the three confused and worried faces of his classmates.

"Conan-_kun_, _daijoubu?_" Ayumi leaned her palms on his chair, on either side of his ankle. Mitsuhiko titled his head to one side, and pulled himself up onto Genta's shoulder to get a better view. Genta squinted at him.

Conan blinked.

"...Yeah, yeah I'm fine..." He slid his leg off the chair, and Ayumi stood straight again. He sat up and used the chair as leverage to stand up again. He brushed off his shorts, and lifted his head as if to apologize to the teacher for the disruption -- only to see that the teacher wasn't there. He blinked, then turned to his friends.

"Where's the teacher?" He asked, quirking a brow and glancing around them.

The three youths exchanged glances.

"You really were zoned out, weren't you?" Genta asked, clapping Conan on the shoulder, who gripped the edge of his desk as not to fall over again.

He tilted his head to the side and blinked at them again.

"What do you mean?" He made a face, and bent down to put his bag on top of his desk. It wasn't until then that he realized that the room was empty aside from himself and his three friends. "Where is everybody?"

Mitsuhiko laughed.

"Conan-_kun_, you've been spacing out staring at the window all day. The bell's already rung! We can go home now."

Conan balked. He looked up at the clock at the front of the room. They were right. The bell had rung. The day was over.

...Wait. School was over...?

Shimatta!!

"Augh!!" Conan made a face. "I've got to go, guys. I'll see you later!" He snatched his bag and hopped over his desk, darting for the door, and leaving the three children there to stare.

"Ahhh, Conan_-kun..._!!" Ayumi took a step forward, reaching a hand out after him. She stopped, and pouted slightly. "I was gonna ask if he wanted to come with us to look for more cases for the _Shounen Tanteitan_..." She sighed.

Mitsuhiko and Genta exchanged smiles.

"We can figure them out on our own today, Ayumi-_chan_." Mitsuhiko said, grinning and putting a hand on her shoulder, which gained him a jealous glare from Genta. Ayumi looked at him over her shoulder, then grinned as well.

"Haaaai!"

Conan ran down the stairs as fast as his shrunken legs could take him, his bag flailing in his hand.

"Can't be late, can't be late, can't be late...!" He rounded a corner, and ran out to the fountain outside of school. He paused there to catch his breath.

Setting his bag down on the edge of the fountain, he rested his palms on his knees and panted for a minute before straightening.

He glanced around and let his eyes rest on the statue Ran had mentioned. She wasn't there yet. Good. He picked up his bag and walked over to the statue and leaned on it.

He suddenly found himself thinking about what he was doing. He was waiting for Ran. She'd said she was going to take him out for ice cream... He stopped. Would that be like a date? He blushed faintly. Not that Ran thought of it that way... after all, he was just a kid.

...But still...

I've got a date with Ran, I've got a date with Ran...

He swayed where he stood to the sing-song tone his mind had taken to thinking in.

He stopped again.

Wait... would that mean I'm jealous of myself? As Shinichi... and going out somewhere with Ran as Conan... He squinted. _Nahh, I can't be jealous of myself, that's just silly. But really, is this like a date?_

He felt the same faint blush creep onto his face, and quickly shook his head.

Calm down, Shinichi. She's just taking you out for ice cream as a way of saying sorry. ...Not that she did anything wrong in the first place...

He chuckled.

Maybe being Conan _wasn't_ so bad, after all...

"_Nee, _Conan-_kun,"_

He jerked awake, startled. When had he fallen asleep? He lifted his head to look into the eyes of an apologetic Ran.

"_Sumanai, _Conan-_kun..._ Sonoko kept me behind to help her clean the room up. I hope I didn't keep you too long..." She paused. His glasses had fallen off.

She'd be damned if he didn't look _exactly_ like Shinichi did when he was around six or seven. It was almost _creepy._

"..._Daijoubu_, Conan-_kun?_ You look tired... do you want to go home?"

He blinked, taking a moment to comprehend what she'd said.

"Ahh, _iie!_" He stammered, picking up his glasses from their resting place in his lap, and placed them back on his face. He smiled, and shook his head, standing up. "I was just resting my eyes."

Liar.

Ran smiled.

"Sorry that it took so long... like I said, Sonoko..." She sighed. "Well, you know Sonoko."

Conan nodded. God_ do I know Sonoko... _He mused, making a face.

"Anyway..." She sweatdropped. "Shall we go?" Before allowing him to answer, she took his small hand in hers and started to lead him toward the school gates.

He snatched his bag from where it lay on the ground beside the statue, and stumbled after her, getting it on his shoulder only after he'd matched her pace.

"So, what kind of ice cream do you think you want, Conan-_kun_?" She asked off-handedly as they headed down the sidewalk.

Conan paused.

"...I like strawberry." He said in a small voice.

...Shinichi's favourite was always strawberry, too...

Ran smiled falsely.

"Okay, then strawberry it is!"

"_Arigatou_! Come again, Mouri-_chan!_" The man in the ice cream shop called as they walked out the door, ice cream cones in their hands.

"Hai!" Ran responded, and let the door close.

She wasn't holding his hand this time.

"_Hayaku,_ Ran_-'nee-chan!_" He called, waving with his free hand.

Ran smiled.

"_Hai_, Conan-_kun_..." She smiled and followed after him. He waited a second, then ran ahead of her, jogging across the crosswalk.

Suddenly, he felt an unusual snap. He started, and slowed to a walk, then came to a stop.

...His shoelace had snapped...

He stared at it.

That was unusual. Shoelaces were hard things to break without some kind of weapon... yet it was always said to be a bad omen when they did indeed break. He wondered what it meant, and stared quizzically at his shoe, then back to the broken tie about a foot behind him.

The next ten seconds went by very slowly, and yet at the same time, too fast for him to remember.

"Conan_-kun!!_ _Abunai!!_"

He was thrown to the side, and landed roughly on his right arm and hip. He yelped, and his ice cream was thrown from his hand. He looked up to see what had happened, just in time to see Ran get tossed in the opposite direction of him, hit by a small red sports car that was going way too fast for the busy street it was travelling on.

His brain stopped.

A woman screamed, and he vaguely heard a man yell. "Someone call 911!!"

His mind caught up with him, and he realized what was going on, and why people were suddenly crowding onto the street. There was a horrid sinking feeling in his stomach. He sat up, and craned his neck to look around the bumper of the red car, of which a woman had stepped out of and was now crying.

Suddenly he couldn't breathe.

All the colour drained from his face, and he tried to swallow the nauseous lump growing in the pit of his stomach.

Ran was laying limp on the ground, her hair cascading haphazardly over her face and shoulders.

She'd pushed him out of the way. He'd been standing right in the middle of the crosswalk, like an idiot, staring at his bloody _shoe_.

He stared for another moment, willing her with his eyes to get up.

Get up, Ran... get up. Please.

He couldn't move.

Ran... Ran, don't do this!! Get up, sit up and scold me! Tell me I shouldn't have been standing there!! Ran, get up!!

He finally found his lungs.

"RAAAAAAN!!"

His ice cream fell to the ground behind him with a wet _splat_.

* * *

****

Author's Notes: _Fua_... another chapter, reposted!!! Now, onto the reposting of chapter four. Good lord this could take days. XD No, I'll have four up by tonight. ...I can't say how long five will take me. It'll be -- hopefully -- my first beta'd chapter, if I can get _'Nee-san_ to do so. And if I finish the chapter before she's replied to my request in email, then I'll just post it, and let you all tell me what I've done wrong. XD

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**__**

Glossary of Japanese Terms

owatta : I didn't use this in the story itself, but I figured I'd tell you what it meant anyway. It's a way of saying "It's over". If you've ever heard the version of the fifth opening from Conan (Truth by Two-Mix) that Conan sings, you probably know it. He says it after he finishes singing, in a right exhasperated voice. ;; Our poor little tone-deaf _tantei..._

Shounen Tanteitan: Junior Detective League, is I think how they dubbed it. It's the nickname the Ayumi_-tachi_ has given to their group. [_tachi_, btw, is "group".]

sumanai: a polite way of saying "I'm sorry".

iie: "No", quite simply. Not sure if I'd used this one before. oo; I honestly can't remember, and I'm too lazy to check.

hayaku: hurry up.

Not as much Japanese used in this chapter.

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You know the drill. I dunno if you can review if you already reviewed to this chapter. And if you can't, then I respect your silence. However, if you can, I expect you to leave me something! Some kind of commentary, please. It's all much appreciated. Thanks, everybody!

Sakura


	4. Some Unexpected Osakans, and A Milder Th...

DISCLAIMER: Okay. This is Goshou Aoyama's. Not mine. Get it? Got it? Good.

* * *

Anyway!

Some people made reference to the TV Special where Hattori got... shot, I think it was? Where Kazuha, Ran, and Conan were all allowed to accompany the paramedics into the ambulance. In theory, this situation would have been no different. But that wouldn't _always_ be the case. And this is an exception. In wanting to inform Kogorou what had happened, they didn't ask to accompany the paramedics and Ran to the hospital.

Also, on the thought that it was wierd no one wanted to check Conan out as well, the reason it didn't happen is because of Hattori picking him up. I don't know about you, but if I were to see someone near the scene holding on to a kid, I'd think the kid was just curious to see what had happened.

This chapter is really... hardly any different at all. A few things were changed, but not very much. I'll get chapter five up soon, horridly sorry for how long it's taken me, guys.

* * *

Recap of Chapter Three!

The next ten seconds went by very slowly, and yet at the same time, too fast for him to remember.

"Conan_-kun!!_ _Abunai!!_"

He was thrown to the side, and landed roughly on his right arm and hip. He yelped, and his ice cream was thrown from his hand. He looked up to see what had happened, just in time to see Ran get tossed in the opposite direction of him, hit by a small red sports car that was going way too fast for the busy street it was travelling on.

His brain stopped.

A woman screamed, and he vaguely heard a man yell. "Someone call 911!!"

His mind caught up with him, and he realized what was going on, and why people were suddenly crowding onto the street. There was a horrid sinking feeling in his stomach. He sat up, and craned his neck to look around the bumper of the red car, of which a woman had stepped out of and was now crying.

Suddenly he couldn't breathe.

All the colour drained from his face, and he tried to swallow the nauseous lump growing in the pit of his stomach.

Ran was laying limp on the ground, her hair cascading haphazardly over her face and shoulders.

She'd pushed him out of the way. He'd been standing right in the middle of the crosswalk, like an idiot, staring at his bloody _shoe_.

He stared for another moment, willing her with his eyes to get up.

Get up, Ran... get up. Please.

He couldn't move.

Ran... Ran, don't do this!! Get up, sit up and scold me! Tell me I shouldn't have been standing there!! Ran, get up!!

He finally found his lungs.

"RAAAAAAN!!"

His ice cream fell to the ground behind him with a wet _splat_.

**Namida wa Shitte'ru**

Chapter Four: Some Unexpected Osakans, and a Milder Than Anticipated Reaction

He hadn't even remembered screaming. Suddenly, all he could see was Ran's lifeless body laying on the pavement. He stood up and scrambled toward her, muttering her name over and over to himself, praying that he was seeing things, that his Ran was okay.

He paused.

His Ran?? Where had _that_ come from?

He vaguely noticed a pair of arms wrap themselves around his middle, and his view changed. Someone had picked him up.

He struggled.

"Hanase, I have to help Ran!" He flailed around in the arms of who had picked him up, who's face he still hadn't seen. He wasn't looking. He didn't care.

"Agh, stop _flailing_, Kudo! You're like a damned _fish_!"

He froze.

He knew that voice...

Conan snapped his head around to look up at the dark-skinned, blue-eyed face of Hattori Heiji.

"H... **_Hattori_**!!" Conan said, utterly confused, and yet he couldn't ignore the tremendous wave of relief that washed over him. Hattori would be able to help, he was sure of it!!

But wait...

What was he _doing_ here? Conan shifted and pressed an arm against the fellow high school detective's chest. "Put me down, Hattori, Ran is.."

"I see her, Kudo. It's all right, just calm down. We'll take you back to that detective place your staying at and get her dad. Lord knows, that crazy man has the right to know..." Hattori was talking in a hushed voice. He didn't want anyone to hear him calling Conan by his actual last name. Good guy, Hattori was. ...When he wasn't nearly blowing Shinichi's cover on complete accident, that is.

Conan stared. He was right... but what did that matter _now_!? Ran wasn't _in_ the hospital yet, she was still lying on the ground!

"_Demo_, Hattori..." He started, and looked over his shoulder, relaxing slightly in the Osakan's hold. He struggled again, only when Hattori started turning to walk away. "Hattori, what difference does that make _now_? She's still laying on the _ground_!!"

"It'll probably just work out better if you let the paramedics handle things, y'know?" Piped a voice from behind them. Both the boys turned their heads to see Hattori's childhood friend Toyama Kazuha walk up.

Conan squinted, and only then did he notice the wailing sirens. Within four seconds, there was an ambulance pulled up about fifteen feet from where Ran lay.

One man emerged from the emergency vehicle and ran over to Ran, a bag of medical supplies at his side. He set it down and began checking Ran's vitals while two other men wheeled a stretcher from the back of the vehicle over to her. They spoke in authoritative voices, and within two minutes, Ran was hoisted carefully onto the stretcher and wheeled quickly, yet safely, back to the ambulance.

One of the two men who had brought the stretcher hopped into the back of the vehicle and picked up one end of the stretcher, while the other pushed it cautiously unto the back of the ambulance. He then joined his comrade in the space left around the stretcher. The third man, who had run first to Ran's side, was now back in the passenger's side of the car, medical supplies with him. The two in the back shut the opened doors and the car sped off. Hattori and Kazuha watched after it, but Conan's eyes were transfixed on the spot where Ran had lain only a few minutes before.

There was blood on the ground.

Kazuha seemed to notice the boy's horrified gaze and followed it to the bloodstain on the asphalt. Her eyes widened and she gasped, putting a hand lightly on Hattori's shoulder.

"Heiji, let's go." She said softly, and the Osakan detective eyed her, confused. She nodded her head toward Conan. Hattori blinked, then followed Conan's line of sight just as Kazuha had. His reaction was subtle, he just closed his eyes over for a moment, and turned away so Conan couldn't stare anymore. Now he wasn't so sure that the girl was all right.

Hattori set Conan down, and turned to Kazuha, who was starting to look a distressed. She looked at him, her face slightly drawn. Ran was her friend, and this was a highly unsettling matter. She forced a smile so that he would drop his gaze. Having him stare at her like that wasn't helping.

Hattori looked back to the now dispersing crowd of people around the bloodstain that marked where Ran had been laying. She'd obviously had to have been cut by something, and it had given her a fairly large gash somewhere on her back. Although there wasn't enough blood to worry about too much blood loss, losing enough blood to leave a stain on the pavement wasn't something to be relieved about.

Hattori pat the back of Conan's shoulder lightly to gesture for him to follow. Kazuha was already on his heels. Though she was stronger than some girls, she didn't want to linger around somewhere where her friend's blood was staining open asphalt.

Conan walked slowly behind the Osakan couple, his head swimming. Hattori and Kazuha were getting smaller, they were walking at a fast pace.

What had happened? This day had suddenly become very, very confusing.

She'd been crying, so he consoled her.

He'd made breakfast, so she wouldn't have to.

He'd walked her to school, after being accused of being a stalker.

...In any other situation, he would have found that thought mildly entertaining.

She'd taken him out after school...

...and now...

The image of Ran laying on the pavement flashed in his head.

...now...

He suddenly broke into a run, pushing between his two comrades walking in front of him. Hattori swore and ran after him, followed closely by Kazuha, slightly confused but chasing after the two boys anyway.

Conan ran, without seeing much of anything, running past people, nearly running into quite a few. Hattori swore again from not far behind him when he nearly ran into a young woman whom Conan had startled.

He lunged forward and grabbed hold of the boy's wrist, stopping him short. Conan resisted and tried to keep running. Hattori dropped to his knees behind the boy.

"Do you want the same thing to happen to me or Kazuha as did to Ran?!" he said harshly, roughly grabbing ahold of his shoulder and turning him around. "What the hell are you doing, running off like that and not watching where you're going?!"

A few people around them paused and stared. A few women, perhaps thinking Hattori was Conan's caretaker, tsked and shook their heads. Kazuha caught up soon after, and stood behind Hattori, still confused.

"...Heiji...? _Doushita_?" She asked, quirking a brow. Hattori stood up. He looked at Kazuha over his shoulder, then snatched Conan's wrist, keeping him from running off again.

"We're almost there, don't run off again." He said, realizing that perhaps shouting wasn't the best to do in the current situation. He nodded to Kazuha, and she walked ahead of them. Hattori released Conan's wrist and followed after giving the boy a warning gaze.

Conan stood there a moment, staring after them. Hattori was right. He shouldn't have run off like that. He could have easily caused the same thing to happen all over again with someone else.

Why didn't he _think_ once in a while?!

He followed after the Osakan couple, staring at the back of Kazuha's shoes silently.

They arrived outside of Mouri Detective Agency soon after. Hattori jogged up the steps and knocked on the door, while Kazuha turned to Conan and smiled.

"Everything will be okay, Ran-_chan_ will be fine." She said, trying to reassure him, despite her own fear for her close friend.

She started up the stairs and waited a second for Conan to follow. She stopped behind Hattori just as the door opened.

Kogorou squinted at them.

"..._omae..._" He raised an eyebrow. "What are you guys doing here?" He noticed Conan, and his eyes flicked over Hattori and Kazuha, and his eyes suddenly became questioning. _Where was Ran?_

"..._Occhan_..." Conan said softly, still staring at the ground. Kogorou blinked, and turned his attention to the boy.

Hattori eyed Conan out of the corner of one of his eyes. He sighed.

"..._Occhan_, Ran..." He didn't exactly know how to put it.

Kogorou raised an eyebrow.

"What about Ran?"

Kazuha bit her lip, then took control of the situation.

"Mouri-_han_, there's been an accident." She said quite simply. Kogorou looked up at her, not quite understanding at first.

Then his face went from confused to somewhere between horrified and angry, very slowly. Conan refused to look at him. This _was_ his fault, but he wasn't about to say anything about it, knowing Kogorou would be quite angry.

"What did you say...?" Kogorou said in a low, threataning voice. Kazuha forced a pleasant smile again, starting to fear Kogorou just a little.

"Ran-_chan _was involved in an accident, and has been taken to the hospital. We thought you should be the first to know, since you are her father." She scooted closer to Hattori, scooting Conan along with her, somewhat shielding him.

Kogorou stepped back from the door and opened it.

"In." He said roughly. Hattori stepped aside and let Kazuha and Conan walk in, and then followed close behind. Kogorou closed the door.

"Now, explain this to me? My daughter, Ran's been in an accident?" He said, sounding somewhere between livid and frightened.

Conan slipped out from behind Kazuha and faced Kogorou.

"It's my fault, _Occhan_." He said boldly, and Hattori stared at him with huge eyes, making a slight choking noise, startled. Was the boy _nuts_??

Kogorou raised an eyebrow. Sure, the kid was annoying, klutzy, and rather accident-prone, but he didn't think that he could cause something that would send a girl to the hospital.

"...How...?"

Conan balled his hands into fists and stared at the ground once more.

"She and I went out for ice cream after school today, and I paused in the middle of the crosswalk. Ran pushed me out of the way, because a car had almost hit me. Instead, it hit her."

Kogorou squinted. That didn't quite make sense. How did that make it his fault? It was the fault of the driver... and why was he calling her 'Ran'? Didn't he usually call her Ran-_'nee-chan'?_

Hattori put his hands up after a second, stepping forward.

"That's not true, Mouri-_han_."

Kogorou turned his attention to the dark-skinned Osakan.

"Then, enlighten me. What _is_ the truth?" His patience was wearing thin. Something had happened to his daughter, and he wasn't being given a clear answer as to what.

Hattori sweatdropped.

"I'm not entirely sure myself, Mouri-_han_, I didn't see it happen. But it kind of seemed like someone wasn't paying attention, and was driving too fast down a crowded street and ended up hitting her."

Kogorou squinted. He stared at the teenage detective, then looked to Kazuha and looked her over a moment, then let his eyes fall on Conan. He was still staring at the ground, his tiny fists shaking slightly from how tightly he had them balled up. He sighed, having an unusually mature attitude about all this.

"Then I suppose you all want me to bring you along to the hospital?" He said begrudgingly, snatching his keys and coat jacket from his desk.

Conan let his hands relax and looked up to Kogorou, confused. He'd expected him to have a harsher reaction.

Kogorou stared at them, pausing in putting on his jacket.

"Well? Are you coming or not?" He headed for the door.

Kazuha and Hattori exchanged glances before both looking at Conan.

Conan looked back and forth between them, then looked back at Kogorou.

"...Yes!" He said after a moment and ran after Kogorou, who was on his way down the stairs now.

Kazuha and Hattori stared at each other, blinking, then Hattori ran after Conan, snatching Kazuha's wrist on the way.

****

Author's Notes: Fixed the major problems. I know, you all still think that Kogorou went too easy on them. I don't know, I kind of felt he would respond similarly... maybe I went a little too subtle... but in the first and fourth movies(the only two I've seen... grumble), when Ran was in danger, Kogorou seemed to take on a much less... irrational state. Whenever something concerning Ran pops up, he seems to go straight into dad-mode. As opposed to scary constantly-drunk Kogorou mode. Anyway. Onto the glossary.

**__**

Glossary of Japanese Terms:

hanase: "let go"... said in a kind of slang-ish way. Boys talk like that.

doushita: "what's wrong".

chan: This is used to express endearment, mostly toward girls. It is also used for little boys, pets, and even among lovers. It gives a sense of childish cuteness.

_omae_: "you"... Kogorou was more or less, stating that it was Hattori at the door.

han: The Osakan equivalent of "san". Osakans speak with a sort of slang, like the southern accent people in the US get. I think it's just too cute, personally.

Okay, chapter four edited. Reposted, and done. Now, all I have to do, is try and avoid any more screw-ups in chapter five! Pfft, yeah right. I know I'll do _something_ wrong...

Reviews, welcome and appreciated!!

Sakura


	5. A Crack In The Mask, A False Happiness

**DISCLAIMER**: Okay, for those of you who don't understand the meaning of _fanfiction_... _Meitantei Conan_ is not mine. It's Goshou Aoyama's!! ;;The smart son of a bitch...

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The long-awaited chapter five is finally here!! I am, _sooooooooo_ sorry that it has taken me so long.My computer decided to die for a while, so I've been writing up the future chapters in a notebook I carry everywhere with me, but I've been unable to update. oo I'm _so_ sorry. I'm also sorry to announce, that you guys might want to get used to the lengthy waits between each chapter. What with school and all, I don't have a whole lot of time to be working on this. ::hangs head::

Also, I've decided to stop doing review responses. They're getting to be a pain in the ass, to either stare at my emails as I reply, or stare at the review page on here. So, sorry if anyone is let down by that, but they're gone.

And one last thing -- this chapter hasn't been beta-ed at all yet, I figured I'd skip it seeing as it's already been so long since I updated. I plan to go back and re-post all the chapters _again_, as _'neechan_ has beta-ed the first four chapters and given me even more things to fix. Not a whole lot, but enough.

_Italics_ -- japanese and emhpasis. You guys know that by now.

Recap of dooooom.

"Then I suppose you all want me to bring you along to the hospital?" He said begrudgingly, snatching his keys and coat jacket from his desk.

Conan let his hands relax and looked up to Kogorou, confused. He'd expected him to have a harsher reaction.

Kogorou stared at them, pausing in putting on his jacket.

"Well? Are you coming or not?!" He headed for the door.

Kazuha and Hattori exchanged glances before both looking at Conan.

Conan looked back and forth between them, then looked back at Kogorou.

"...Yes!" He said after a moment and ran after Kogorou, who was on his way down the stairs now.

Kazuha and Hattori stared at each other, blinking, then Hattori ran after Conan, snatching Kazuha's wrist on the way.

**

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**

**Namida wa Shitte'ru**

_Chapter Five: A Crack in the Mask, A False Happiness_

Despite his seemingly calm exterior, Kogorou had all but screamed at the taxi driver he'd called.

_Take out your frustrations on a poor, unsuspecting cab driver, why doncha?_ Hattori mused silently, grinning. Kazuha shot him a rather murderous glare.

"What on _earth_ could possibly be funny right now, Heiji?!" She demanded in a harsh whisper.

He raised his eyebrows at her, then sobered. Kazuha backed down when he stopped grinning, turning back to the window to watch anxiously as the car sped down the road toward the hospital.

Conan, on the other hand, hadn't said a word since the talk with Kogorou at the Detective Agency. He sat, leaning against the window, his chin in one hand. He hadn't even bothered to look up when Kazuha called his name softly. He looked like he hadn't even heard her.

Kazuha's expression fell. When the boy didn't respond to her first call, she sat back against the back of the seat, staring at her lap. Hattori watched her the whole time.

Kazuha had always been a caring person. Easily made very jealous, and significantly more overprotective than most people -- especially of Hattori -- but caring, nonetheless. She and Ran hadn't gotten along at first, Kazuha had thought that her Heiji had gotten a girlfriend when she found them in a noodle shop(Hattori had been showing Ran, Conan, and Kogorou around Osaka.), but Hattori assured her otherwise. It hadn't taken long then, for the two smitten highschool girls to become close. They had too much in common _not_ to be friends. They were both excellent in martial arts, Ran in Karate, Kazuha in Aikido. They were both hopelessly in love with their childhood friends...

Kazuha decided to try once more. She leaned forward, and then to the side a bit, leaning on Hattori's arm.

"_Nee_, Conan-_kun..._"

She reached over Hattori and rested a hand lightly on the boy's small shoulder. He jolted, and snapped his head over to look at her.

She smiled softly at him, trying to think of what to say. Why had she wanted to get his attention in the first place...?

"....Ran_-chan_ will be okay, you know..." She told him, keeping her hand on his shoulder. He stared at it.

"...." There were a million things he wanted to say, but he held his tongue.

How could she say that Ran would be okay? She didn't know... so how could she say it so... so _confidently_?!

_...But how can I just instantly condemn her for dead? Do I really have that little faith in her? _

_...She's stronger than that... I _know_ it... _

"She'll be okay. Don't act so down, _Conan._" Hattori said his name with a hint of irony in his voice, shooting a pointed glance at the shrunken eighteen year old. The boy sighed, and looked at his lap, nodding.

Kazuha smiled a little, and pat his shoulder softly before leaning back into her seat, satisfied. At least he wasn't too far gone. She prayed even more that Ran was okay, now.

_Ran-chan... if anything happens to you, you'll just crush this child... you know that, don't you? Please... please, you have to be all right... Not just for me..._

The remainder of the ride to the hospital was spent in silence, Kazuha praying silently that Ran was okay, Conan staring out the window again, Hattori glancing back and forth between the two. Kogorou stayed unusual quiet in the front seat, kneading his hands on his pantlegs, while the driver cast occasional frightened glances at the inhabitants of his taxi. He wondered what would have all of them -- including a young child -- so very uptight that they would keep so quiet.

Nearly twelve minutes passed before they reached the hospital. They lived fairly close, but there had been some light traffic.

As soon as they pulled into the parking lot, Kogorou and Conan unclasped their seatbelts and dashed out of the car to the sliding doors. Hattori and Kazuha exchanged glances before quickly following suit. Apparently -- _hopefully_ -- Kogorou had paid the cab driver already. Either that, or the man was too frightened to call him back. -- Not that Hattori _blamed_ him...

Kogorou ran down the entrance hallway to the secretary's desk, Conan right on his heels. He slammed his hands flat on the desk, startling the nurse.

"I want to see my daughter!" He all but shouted, and the petite woman behind the counter cowered a little before nodding.

"A... all right, sir... what is the last name...?" She asked timidly, flicking her eyes from Kogorou's franticly angry expression to her list of the patients admitted that day.

"Mouri! Mouri Ran!" He'd quieted a little, but his voice still held a certain anxious tone, as if he may explode again at any given time. The girl nodded.

"One moment, please..." she ran her finger down the list, her eyes following it, and stopping near the bottom. "Ah, here she is, sir... she was only just checked in. You said she was your daughter?" The nurse looked up at Kogorou, who nodded fervently. "All right, sir. She's in room 327."

Kogorou shouted a brief "thank you!" over his shoulder as he took off running down the halls toward the elevators. Conan was, once again, following on his heels. Kazuha ran quickly after the distressed males, Hattori walking quickly after. It didn't matter how fast they got to the girl's room, she'd still be unconscious.

Thankfully, the people in the hallways of the hospital were smart enough to move out of the way when they heard the pounding footsteps of the group. Kogorou tore down the hallways, stopping two rooms before the one in question, and slowing to a brisk walk as not to slam into the door.

Conan, on the other hand, wasn't expecting him to stop, and slammed right into the back of his leg. Kogorou swore softly under his breath and glared down at Conan, but refrained from shouting at him.

Kazuha scooped him up from behind, and bowed a little to Kogorou, who simply pushed open the door to room 327, silently.

"Ran?" Kogorou found himself calling softly as he entered the hospital room.

_She's not going to answer you..._

Hattori almost laughed. Was Kogorou actually distressed enough to think that his daughter would still be _awake?_ She was just hit by a _car_ for God's sake!

Kazuha gnawed on her lower lip. Conan squirmed in her arms, wanting to be put on the ground again. The young Osakan girl complied, setting the boy down on the floor. He proceeded to step haltingly toward the hospital bed in which Ran lay unnervingly still.

Kogorou stared at a small woman writing things on a clipboard, standing at the foot of Ran's bed.

"Do you work here?" He asked, his voice sounding more frightened than he'd intended. The woman looked up.

"Yes, sir. I'm a nurse." She smiled, and turned her body to face him. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Kogorou managed a faint smile at her softspoken and polite demeanor.

"Can you tell me what my daughter's" -- he gestured to Ran -- "condition is?"

The woman smiled again.

"She's more or less stable... but I'm afraid she's fallen into a coma from severe head trauma, sir." She spoke matter-of-factly, resting a small hand on the end of Ran's bed. Kogorou deadpanned.

"She's in a _coma?!_" Kazuha whispered, a hand held near her mouth. She felt tears burn at the back of her eyes, but refused to let them fall.

The nurse nodded slowly -- sadly.

"Yes, I'm afraid so..." She paused, and glanced at her clipboard, smiling a little. Hopeful. "However, she's in stable condition, she could wake up at any ti --"

--"But she's okay, right?!" Kogorou nearly shrieked. Everyone in the room flinched.

That is, everyone but the comatose Ran, and the small boy who clung hopelessly to her hand. Hattori stared solemnly at him.

Conan had made his way to Ran's bedside slowly, hesitantly. He'd looked the unconscious young woman over, fear clenching his adolescent heart like a cold hand. He reached his tiny hands up and grasped herhand with both of them, squeezing it between his palms.

Still fighting tears, Kazuha walked up behind the boy and rest a hand gently on his shoulder. Conan looked up at her, but his grip on Ran's hand never faltered. If anything, he pressed his miniscule palms over Ran's cold hand with more force, as if afraid she may slip between them.

"...yes, sir. She is physically unharmed, aside from some minor bumps, and a number of bruises." the nurse replied after what seemed like an eternity to the distressed Kogorou.

He relaxed, but just barely.

"...when will she wake up?" he asked, gaze fallen upon his comatose daughter.

"That's uncertain, sir. A coma is a bit of a medical mystery. She could wake up in a few moments, or it could take weeks."

Kogorou flinched. His eyes fell upon Conan, who was still clinging desperately to Ran's hand. He was smiling with a practiced fakeness, trying to console Kazuha. Poor girl, she was so worked up, she'd started crying.

Hattori stood behind Kazuha, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.

"...thank you, nurse." Kogorou uttered and walked over to join the other three at his daughter's bedside.

"Let her go, Conan." he ordered simly.

Conan only looked at him. Kogorou gazed at the boy, and right passed his childish facade. The look on his face was that of an unwilling child, too frightened to listen to Kogorou's simple request.

But Kogorou could see that there was something behind that -- something deeper; more painful.

He could never quite place it, but the faux detective could always tell there was something... _different_ about this so called "child". Especially when it came to Ran. He became much more mature, and he stopped hiding behind his mask of childish giggles and blank stares. He was seven, but when something hapened to Ran -- Kogorou's _seventeen year old_ daughter -- Conan behaved much more like an adult than Kogorou himself did at times.

"Conan." he repeated, fixing a pointed gaze at the child. "Let her go."

This time, Conan obeyed. He released his grip on Ran's hand slowly, watching it. He placed it back alongside her on the bed where it had lain before he'd taken it into his grasp.

Kogorou pulled a stool away from the wall and set it beside Ran's bed. He sat on it, and scooted it over enough to where Conan could still _see_ Ran -- and her hand.

Kazuha stood up, now leaning her shoulder backward into Hattori, having calmed down. Hattori kept a protective hand on her shoulder.

Conan layed his hands one on top of the other on the edge of the bed, resting his chin atop them. He stared forward at nothing in particular -- not Ran, not Kogrou, not even at the bed. His eyes were glazed, and unfocused.

He was happy -- Ran wasn't seriously hurt -- but terrified. She was in a _coma_. Because of _him._ If only he'd been watching where he was going, instead of paying attention to his bloody _shoelace--!_

_I'm sorry, Ran..._

He buried his face in the backs of his hands, trying to swallow the painful lump in the back of his throat. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

Kazuha smiled over her shoulder at Hattori, who squeezed her shoulder once more for reassurance before walking over to Conan, his hands in his pockets. He knelt down behind his fellow detective.

"She'll be all right, Kudou." he said softly, as not to let Kogorou overhear. Conan lifted his head and looked over his shoulder at his Osakan friend.

"She will." Hattori stated, smiling. "I _know_ she will. She won't leave you all to your own defenses. You mean more to her."

Conan turned his back to Ran, smiling faintly and staring at his shoes.

"You'd better be right, Hattori."

The dark-skinned boy smiled at Conan again, and scruffed his hair.

"And stop being so _down._ You're creeping me out."

Conan glared half-heartedly.

"You try having this happen to your precious _Kazuha, _and then you can tell me about not being down."

Hattori's face flushed slightly, and he puffed his cheeks.

"Well, **_fine_**..." he said with mock anger. He stood up and scruffed Conan's hair once more.

"..._demo..._" he added thoughtfully. Conan raised his eyes to look at him.

"_'neechan_ wouldn't want you to be upset." He paused, and eyed Conan with a pointed look. "_Either_ of you."

Conan froze up, his pupils dilating ever so slightly. Hattori smiled.

Kogorou eyed the two suspiciously from the corner of his dark eyes.

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**_Author's Notes:_** bows I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!! ::flail:: ...no need for a glossary in this chapter, I didn't use any japanese you shouldn't know... ...I won't make any promises -- as everytime I have, they've never been kept... bows again _gomen!_ -- but I'm going to try and have six up by next month. ((Which isn't TOO long... seeing as it's the 27th today.)) ...good lord... I said I'd have this chapter up on the seventh of september... and here we are, twenty days later. rivertears I'm _really_, really sorry. Anyway. Like I said, I'll try to have six up by next month. Until then -- ciaociao!

Sakura


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